GameShark.com evaluates games based on three important criteria: gameplay, presentation and technical. There are other factors (detailed at the bottom of this page) that can play a role in a final score, but these three are the most important. GameShark.com also does its best to match specific game genres with writers that have a deep understanding of and enjoy those types of genres. This ensures that niche types of games get a fair shake and are treated honestly. It is also important to note that reviewing a game, like evaluating any other medium, is subjective, meaning that it can sometimes be influenced by the reviewer's preferences and biases. Ultimately the reviewer's opinion, based on his or her overall experience with a game, has a lot weight on what the final score is, but it is balanced by the criteria listed below:

Gameplay:

This is the most important thing we consider when reviewing a game. Gameplay is broken down into a number of categories like fun factor (is it fun to play?), gameplay innovation (does it bring anything new to the genre or does it use standard gameplay conventions in a new and exciting way) and replayability (comparing value vs. game content).



Presentation:

This is yet another category that encompasses a variety of gameplay aspects that are important to consider when reviewing a game. These include graphics, sound, voice acting, animation, controls, etc. Presentation is important when it directly impacts the game (are these elements so bad that they cheapen the overall experience or are they so good that they lift the experience up?).

Technical:

Issues that will cause consumers considerable hassles, damage or unnecessary headaches are noted based on their level of aggravation. These kinds of things can (and should) impact a score. We base our evaluation on the out-of-the-box gameplay experience and not on games that have been patched. In the case of online multiplayer games, we base our experience (which can change) on the current state of the gameplay at the time of evaluation.



A Word About Multiplayer and Expansion Packs:

Multiplayer:

For some games, multiplayer is important to gameplay (games that put a heavy emphasis on it or are in a genre that almost requires it like first-person shooters and real-time strategy games ) and should be judged based on that criteria accordingly. However games that don't offer multiplayer shouldn't unnecessarily be punished for NOT having it. In other words we don't punish games for our own wishlist of features.

Expansions:

We review expansion packs and add-ons based on what they add to their respective games and whether that new content is useful or fun for gamers that already enjoy the product based on the purchase price.

Ratings System: A Breakdown :



GameShark used to use a Five star system for rating games called "Sharks." Five Sharks was the best score a game could receive and a half star was the worst. This was used in conjunction with an internal one to ten scoring system where one point equals half a shark.

The difficulties of understanding a rating system and the ability to translate that system into something users can utilize to make actual real word product purchases is important to GameShark.com, so we recently decided to change to a letter grading system. Anyone that has gone to school knows that an A+ means an excellent score and that an F is usually a sign of a very bad endeavor. To that end we've switched to a simple rating system that scales from A+ (the very best of the best) to F (the worst of the worst). Below you can find a breakdown of the new system:

A+

Editor's Choice: Games that reach this level of perfection are a must buy. These games are almost flawless, super appealing to a wide audience of consumers and bear a standard of quality that other games can never hope to aspire to.

A

Games that receive this score are the cream of the crop, fun and bring something refreshing to the table. As with a 5 star rating, very few games can hit this mark. These games aren't always perfect but are usually so good that you'll overlook their minor flaws.

A-

Games that earn this rating are better than the average game. These kinds of games tend to be fun, offer a lot to consumers in many areas and are generally solid and polished endeavors. They can have flaws but those flaws are usually overshadowed by great gameplay, presentation, etc.